Urethanes, degradable

Akutsu Y, T Nakajima-Kambe, N Nomura, T Nakahara (1998) Purification and properties of a polyester poly-urethane-degrading enzyme from Comamonas acidovorans TB-35. Appl Environ Microbiol 64 62-67. 

Wu, Y., Sellitti, C, Anderson, J. M., Hiltner, A., Lodoen, G. A. Payet, C. R. (1992) An FTIR-ATR investigation of in vivo poly(ether urethane) degradation. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 46, 201-211. 

The soft segments exhibit different behavior in terms of thermal-oxidative resistance polyester polyols are quite resistant, while polyether polyols are sensitive to oxidation. Traces of copper compounds and, to a lesser degree, iron compounds catalyze polyether urethane degradation [86]. 

The spin traps technique was applied to the study of photoinitiation of polymer (coatings based on polyester-urethanes) degradation [730,731, 733, 734]. There is excellent qualitative correlation between the rate of... 

Sihcones (qv) have an advantage over organic resias ia their superior thermal stabiUty and low dielectric constants. Polyurethanes, when cured, are tough and possess outstanding abrasion and thermal shock resistance. They also have favorable electrical properties and good adhesion to most surfaces. However, polyurethanes are extremely sensitive to and can degrade after prolonged contact with moisture as a result, they are not as commonly used as epoxies and sihcones (see Urethane polymers). 

Special reactions of hydrazides and azides are illustrated by the conversion of the hydrazide (205) into the azide (206) by nitrous acid (60JOC1950) and thence into the urethane (207) by ethanol (64FES(19)105Q) the conversion of the same azide (206) into the N-alkylamide (208) by ethylamine the formation of the hydrazone (209) from acetaldehyde and the hydrazide (205) and the IV-acylation of the hydrazide (205) to give, for example, the formylhydrazide (210) (65FES(20)259). It is evident that there is an isocyanate intermediate between (206) and (207) such compounds have been isolated sometimes, e.g. (211). Several of the above reactions are involved in some Curtius degradations. 

Putrescine dihydrochloride has been prepared by the Hofmann degradation of adipamide 3.. s by the Curtius degradation of adipyl hydrazide through the urethane by the Curtius degradation of adipyl azide obtained from adipyl chloride and sodium azide by the Schmidt degradation of adipic acid with hydrogen azide by the reduction of succinonitrile, succinaldoxime, or 7-phthalimidobutyronitrile with sodium and from N-ben-zoyl-7-iodobutylamine ... 

The isocyanurate reaction occurs when three equivalents of isocyanate react to form a six-membered ring, as shown in the fifth item of Fig. 1. Isocyanurate linkages are usually more stable than urethane linkages. Model compound studies show no degradation of the trimer of phenyl isocyanate below 270°C [10,11]. Catalysts are usually needed to form the isocyanurate bond. Alkali metals of carboxylic acids, such as potassium acetate, various quaternary ammonium salts, and even potassium or sodium hydroxide, are most commonly used as catalysts for the isocyanurate reaction. However, many others will work as well [12]. 

The most common catalyst used in urethane adhesives is a tin(lV) salt, dibutyltin dilaurate. Tin(IV) salts are known to catalyze degradation reactions at high temperatures [30J. Tin(II) salts, such as stannous octoate, are excellent urethane catalysts but can hydrolyze easily in the presence of water and deactivate. More recently, bismuth carboxylates, such as bismuth neodecanoate, have been found to be active urethane catalysts with good selectivity toward the hydroxyl/isocyanate reaction, as opposed to catalyzing the water/isocyanate reaction, which, in turn, could cause foaming in an adhesive bond line [31]. 

There appear to be conflicting reports regarding the degradation of urethanes. For example, some urethanes are reported to have relatively poor hydrolysis resistance and good biodegradability [77], while other urethanes are reported to be so hydrolytically stable that they have been successfully used as an artificial heart [78]. Both reports are correct. It will be shown that the thermal, oxidative, and hydrolytic stability of urethanes can be controlled, to some degree, by the choice of raw materials used to make the urethane. 

Two major mechanisms for thermal degradation and one minor mechanism are shown in Fig. 9. The first mechanism is the reverse of urethane formation. The second mechanism, which was proposed by Fabris, forms a primary amine and an olefin. It involves a six-member intermediate, as shown in Fig. 10. A thermal... 

Oxidative stability is highly important because it deals with the degradation of polymers under actual performance conditions. Oxidative stability, as applied to urethanes, refers to the combination of oxygen and heat or oxygen and light that causes degradation of urethanes. 

A hindered phenol is one of the most common antioxidants used in urethanes. This antioxidant traps radicals, which can degrade the polymer chain. The proposed mechanism is as follows [87] ... 

Certain metal catalysts, such as tin(IV) salts and tertiary amines, may work synergistically with oxygen to cause oxidative degradation of urethanes [88]. 

Certain fillers are commonly added to protect the urethane backbone from oxidative degradation. Carbon black and titanium dioxide are commonly used in conjunction with antioxidants to protect polyether polyurethanes in exterior adhesive applications that may be exposed to oxygen and light (Fig. 12). 

The Cunius degradation of acyl azides prepared either by treatment of acyl halides with sodium azide or trimethylsilyl azide [47] or by treatment of acyl hydrazides with nitrous acid [f J yields pnmarily alkyl isocyanates, which can be isolated when the reaction is earned out in aptotic solvents If alcohols are used as solvents, urethanes are formed Hydrolysis of the isocyanates and the urethanes yields primary amines. 

Early attempts to prepare 5-amino- and 5-acylaminobenzofuroxans by hypochlorite oxidation of the corresponding o-nitroanilines met with failure. Pyrolysis of the appropriate azide, however, gives 5-dimetliylamino- and 5-acetamidobenzofuroxan, whereas urethans of type (33) are produced by Curtius degradation of the 5-carboxylic acid. Controlled hydrolysis of the acetamido compound and the... 

A series of poly(ester-urethane) urea triblock copolymers have been synthesized and characterized by Wagner et al/ using PCL, polyethylene glycol, and 1,4 diisocyanatobutane with either lysine ethyl ester or putrescine, as the chain extender. These materials have shown the elongation at break from 325% to 560% and tensile strengths from 8 to 20 MPa. Degradation products of this kind of materials did not show any toxicity on cells. 

Saad B, Hirt TD, Weld M, Uhlschmid GK, Neuenschwander P, and Suter UW. Development of degradable polyester urethanes for medical apphcations. J Biomed Mater Res, 1997, 36, 65-74. 

Although polymers in-service are required to be resistant toward hydrolysis and solar degradation, for polymer deformulation purposes hydrolysis is an asset. Highly crystalline materials such as compounded polyamides are difficult to extract. For such materials hydrolysis or other forms of chemolysis render additives accessible for analysis. Polymers, which may profitably be depolymerised into their monomers by hydrolysis include PET, PBT, PC, PU, PES, POM, PA and others. Hydrolysis occurs when moisture causes chain scissions to occur within the molecule. In polyesters, chain scissions take place at the ester linkages (R-CO-O-R ), which causes a reduction in molecular weight as well as in mechanical properties. Polyesters show their susceptibility to hydrolysis with dramatic shifts in molecular weight distribution. Apart from access to the additives fraction, hydrolysis also facilitates molecular characterisation of the polymer. In this context, it is noticed that condensation polymers (polyesters, -amides, -ethers, -carbonates, -urethanes) have also been studied much... 

Biodegradable poly(phosphoester-urethanes) containing bisglycophosphite as the chain extender were synthesized. Methylene bis-4-phenyl isocyanate (MDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) were initially used as diisocyanates. Since there was a concern that the degradation products could be toxic, the ethyl 2,6-diisocyanatohexanoate (LDI) was synthesized and replaced the MDI (or TDI). The hydrolytic stability and solubility of these polymers were tested. Preliminary release studies of 5-fluorouracil from MDI based poly(phosphoester-urethane) and methotrexate from LDI based poly(phosphoester-urethane) are also reported. 

Figure 2 Hydrolytic degradation of poly(phosphoester-urethanes) based on TDI.

Urethane hydrolyzes into an amine, an alcohol, and carbon dioxide. So the possible degradation products of a poly(phosphoester-urethane) are diamines, diols, phosphates, carbon dioxide, and even ureas. Urea is possible because the isocyanate is extremely sensitive to moisture, which would convert the isocyanate to an amino group. One is therefore bound to have traces of diamine in the polymerization that leads to a urea bond in the backbone. We think the cytotoxicity seen in the macrophage functional assay comes from the TDI structure. 

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